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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Monochrome Method & My Interview

This was two months ago. But first I have to tell you something.

I was interviewed! You can read it HERE. I was interviewed by Sylvia, the admirable publisher of the informative site 40plusstyle.com, which in a gentle and accepting way helps women who (perhaps just like me prior to starting this blog) got a little lost, to find their beauty and shine again, as well as it helps a very diverse international group of style bloggers to connect with each other. Other than interviews with bloggers, articles about fashion, style challenges etc., Sylvia also writes about events in Singapore where she lives and her travels to other exotic places, as well as shares her outfits - and she has a very distinct contemporary sense of style, both fun and fresh.

It was a delightful experience, and it felt good (and a little surreal) to be "on the other side", because as you know, I'm usually the one who interviews people (you can read my interviews with inspiring bloggers by clicking here; I will also label this post to add to my collection of interviews). Hooray! Fireworks! Fanfares! See - I'm even wearing sequins! All right, I will calm down now, promise. (Squeeeeak!)

I will keep it short for this post. I wanted to do a purple monochrome outfit for quite a while. If you read the beautiful Suzanne Carillo's blog, you know how she suggests to play with monochrome - she has a series of posts about it. For me, the revolutionary idea was... to throw all the clothes of the color you work with into one pile and keep trying things and see what combinations work. Because once you've tried many combinations, you sure will find what you like. It sounds so obvious, yes? And yet it did not occur to me before. Outfits sort of happen in my imagination - some of them work, when I try them on me, and others, well, not so much. But I've never actually done what Suzanne does. As I wrote to her, I thought we were "supposed" to elegantly pick just the right items out of our closet, put them on - and you're ready to go. I did not know we were "allowed" to get artistically/scientifically messy! Did you? Do you play with your clothes like that? I think it didn't occur to me because, as writers, we don't get very messy. Our tools are pen and paper or a computer, very clean tools. An artist (and Suzanne is an artist) gets really messy. They work with raw materials ... paint, clay ... they are used to working through a messy, organic process.

So that day, in early March, I decided that it was time to see which purple things would work together and in what combination. In my head, I had only so many purple purple pieces (like the purple slacks and the sequin top). In reality, I had more pieces, about which I did not even think, like the pleather jacket and skirt (I don't think I wore it before, but it's a beautiful piece with decorative zippers, though you don't see them here because of the long top). I'm glad I played by Suzanne's messy method and found more purple combinations which work quite well.

To keep a monochrome look interesting, you just add different shades or hues of the same color, as well as different textures, like I did in the outfit #2 ("leather", silk, sequins, suede). I think it also helps to add one small accent in another color or use a pattern for more visual interest. This was my first such experiment, and I will sure try more. It's a fun exercise.

Do you wear monochrome outfits? Do you find them appealing or rather boring?

Would you like to share your own methods? Please do!

Photos are taken by my Dad (March 4, 2015). The blazer and pants are actually purple, and not blue as they seem on the photos.

24 comments:

Sequins! They make for fantastic day wear. With your unique jewellery you look gorgeous. There's far too much over-analysis and navel gazing when it comes to outfit choices in Blogland. Suzanne tells it like it is by having fun, throwing stuff around and having a laugh. Getting dressed should be all about raiding the dressing-up box and feeling fantastic.I'm off to read your interview. xxx

Gorgeous plummy shades, sparkly sequins, and your trademark style - simply wonderful, Natalia! Clothes should be fun and playful, getting dressed isn't advanced physics or philosophy, is it? It's a creative process, it's ever-changing, emotional, indulgent, experimental and wonderful! Getting ideas and inspiration from our blogging friends is all part of the fun.(PS. I'll read your interview later when I have time to focus, and don't have a teenager bending my ear for money...) xxx

Thank you, Curtise! I think dressing up can be anything, really - art, physics, philosophy... in the core, all of it at its best is a creative process. I guess I was trying to show the difference in creative processes here and that I loved learning another approach to a creative process. :)

Thank you, Glenda! So kind of you! As for the writer's link-up, I will open it up at the end of the month (last week) - the idea was described in this post: http://inthewriterscloset.blogspot.com/2015/05/crazy-just-might-work-i-am-writer.htmlI will leave this link on your page as well, in case you won't see it here.

congrats to the interview!! after writing the comment i must hurry over at sylvia´s to read it!!!!!todschick! - how the berliner says!!! (comes from french "trés chic")my love for purple is relatively new - and your outfit hits the nerv perfectly!! the sequins are so glamorous!!! and for monocrome - i have two different purple tartan skirt suits. instant monocrome outfit :-) the same with red, my red skirt suit needs not much more.... had to laugh about the "permission to be messy"! you´r soooo lovely and cute!!!!i have a little break, but two more weeks of work ahead. but it is great. will show some pics!tons of hugses!!!!

I'm so excited you tried this "technique" LOL...if we can call it that. You are so right that creativity requires play and choices. You did a brilliant job. I adore that you chose the colour purple. And I WANT that sequinned tank! It reminds me of grapes on the vine sparkling with early morning dew in the sun.

It is such a striking look when one does monochrome. I almost feel like it makes the person 3" taller.

you look really elegant and cool, and obviously fabulous in purple (hurrah for purple!!), so interesting that you were experimenting, mixing and matching your purple clothes to create something new!!, it's creative and funny to do.Yes, I'm used to through some clothes on my bed and then play with them, and create some messy stormy chaos!!)Fabulous outfits!, and fabulous sequined top!besos(I'm commenting all your post in a row, sorry if I'm overwhelming you!!)

Magnificent monochromes, Natalia! I'm glad you found a new technique through Suzanne, which really works for you. Sometimes I come across combos when I hang clothes in the closet in different locations too. This colour is great on you too. I'm glad you could wear photos taken by your dad. Sometimes I wear all black, a bit boring, I know, but I can't heeelp it.Your interview was stellar!! I was very happy to learn more about you. Your outfits alone are all beautiful but seeing them as a collection was very powerful. You are an absolute winner, in life and style.

You touched me, dear Melanie! Thank you for your kind words, you are amazing! I started working on an all-black outfit myself. I need to do some repairs to my velvety jacket first though... I stumbled into a couple of cool combinations by placing items next to each other in my closet - without a purpose, of course. I'm learning to find more creative ways, and I learn a lot from you.

Beautiful look and I remember reading that post from Suzanne (I think she may have seen my spare bedroom) though my clothes are on the floor for a different reason. For me the key to having a all color look is texture to give it an interest like you did here.

Gorgeous purple outfits Natalia! The sequin top is a star, it takes everything to a more luxurious level, and the colour is fantastic on you. I'll go and read your interview, and have a good look at Suzanne Carillo too :-) Dressing in monochrome outfits is like taking a bath in colour - my favourite!

I really enjoyed reading your interview. You're such an eloquent person and your answers are well just so intelligent...it is clear you're the kind of person that really thinks about something and then arrives to her own conclusions...and that's the only way to do it in life. Even if we get the right answers, it doesn't mean anything if we didn't ask the right questions.

On unrelated note, I'm really interested by your project of building a Russian speaking community. The first blog I ever opened was a language learning blog (where I taught Croatian, something that I have done even while I was at the University and something that was really fun for me)...but I had a lot of unpleasant experiences, so in the end I deleted both the blog and my video channel that was quite visited, though not in the way I intended.

People see fashion and wanting to look good as something superficial, but in the world of fashion blogging, I've found so many amazing and inspiring woman....All my experience with my blog have been positive. I think that in all these years, I only ever had one or two experiences that weren't nice but they were totally harmless so....

Anyhow, I do like to wear sequins...they're so much fun. This monochrome look is really lovely. I think I can sense what shade of purple the items that seem blue are...because I have that shade of purple in my closet:) It has taken a form of one lovely dress.

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About Me

A Russian-born bilingual writer, author, storyteller, culture appreciator, and a dreamer who loves life! I live and blog in the Pacific Northwest of the US. In The Writer's Closet is my personal style blog, and Out Of The Writer's Closet is my creative writing blog. If you are a writer, check out WRITE AND LINK, a link-up for creative writers (since 2015). All photographs in In The Writer's Closet are by my husband Justin Donie, unless mentioned otherwise.